Refrigerator



Jan. 23, 1940. w G] SEEGER 2,187,916

REFRIGERATOR Filed Jan, 23, 195e 2 sheets-sheet 1 @11.23, 1940. r wGqsEEGER 2,187,916

REFRIGERATOR Fil-ed Jan. 23, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 23, 1940 UNITED STAT-Es PATENT OFFICE REFBIGERATOR Application" January 23, 1936, Serial No. 60,483

5 Claims.

This invention relates to an improvement in refrigerators wherein the shelf which is supported lby the clips or shelf rests on the side inner walls of the refrigerator is adapted to provide a cover and a supporting means for a drawer vor drawer compartments or wire baskets which may be readily pulled out to give free access to the contents of the same.

A feature resides in providing a refrigerator with a hydrator compartment in the form of a drawer which is adapted to be slidably supported to thevunder side of a shelf. It is also a feature to provide a removable and adjustable shelf which is adapted to support one or more hydrator containers thereto. Further, it is a feature to lock vthe rear end of this shelf so that it will not tip upward when the hydrator drawer is pulled out with the weight of the same on the front of the shelf.

A further feature resides in providing a smooth imperforate shelf which may be a porcelain enamelled shelf, with a smooth top upon which articles may rest; the shelf may or mayv not be reinforced by an inner wire frame and channels o supported by the frame and the shelf which provide tracks in which the drawer or hydrator compartment slides.

It is also a feature to provide a finishing front plate means for the hydrator drawers or the basket drawers which is spaced from the front end of the drawers which provides a shield to keep the warm air from striking the front of the hydrator drawers when the door of the refrigerator is opened, and to form a finishing plate means which will engage against the shelf to form a stop for limiting the inward movement of the drawer.

Further, the invention includes a shelf which is adapted to be locked on the inner end to keep the same from. tilting and which may be for'med in amanner to ,support the drawer channels directly to the under surface of the shelf. The shelf may also ,be imperforate on one side to form a cover for a hydrator drawer and on the other side have a mesh over a wire-like basket drawer to prowide free circulation of the refrigerated air through the basket.

In the drawings I have illustrated in Figure 1 a perspective of an open refrigerator, showing my invention carried out therein.

Figure 2'vis a perspective looking Vup `under the shelf which Vsupports the drawers, one of the drawers being removed from the channels carried by the under part of the shelf, and the other drawer having the finishing face plate removed therefrom.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional front view of the drawer supporting shelf.

Figure 4 is a side view of the shelf, showing the length of the drawer in closed position.

Figure 5 illustrates a section through another form of the shelf, showing on one side a hydrator vdrawer with the top closed by the shelf, and on the other side a mesh or wire basket drawer which is covered by an open meshed portion of the shelf.

'I'he refrigerator A illustrates the refrigerating compartment B in which the refrigeratlng unit Cl is mounted. The drawings illustrate the general refrigerator casing and refrigerator compartment and the refrigerator unit, simply to show the general construction of the refrigerator, which obviously may be of any suitable form vwhere a refrigerator with a refrigeration compartment is provided.

In Figure 1 the door D of the refrigerator A is open to disclose the refrigeration compartment and to show a form of the hydrator drawers E which are carried by the shelf I0. Figure 1 shows two drawers E, each of which is slidably supported by the shelf I0 below the same so that the top surface II of the shelf I0 forms the cover for the drawers E.

The shelf I 0 may be made as illustrated in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4, with the shelf plate imperforate. This plate is provided with a smooth top surface II and the plate may be enamelled or otherwise finished so as to form a smooth shelf surface on which articles may be placed and supported. The shelf plate I0 is formed with a. reinforcing depending flange I2 which is reinforced by a wire frame I3 extending around inside of the depending flange I2 to reinforce the shelf I0.

' Suitable guide channels I4 are adapted to be secured to the frame portion I3 extending along under the shelf as indicated-in Figure 2. 'Ihe frame I3 is adapted to be secured by spot weldy ing or other suitable means to Asecure the frame in proper position to reinforce thebottom of the shelf I0. The guides I 4 form channels in which the ange of the drawers EV are adapted to slide. The drawers E are provided with a spacer mem'- ber -I5 attached to the front wall I6 of the same which are adapted to support and space the nishing plate I1 from the front wall I6 of the drawer. Operating handles I8 are provided for the drawers so that the same may be operated in opening and closing the drawers E. The finishing plates II are spaced from the front wall I6 to provide a cold air circulating passage I9 between the plate I1 and the front I6 of each drawer E. 'I'his permits the cold air to circulate around the walls of the drawers E and also protects the front wall against the warm air striking the front of the drawers when the door D of the refrigerator is opened.

The shelf I0 is adapted to be supported by the wall lugs 20 which project from the inner walls of the refrigerator. 'I'he rear portion of the Ashelf I0 is formed with a hook member 2i which engages under the lug 20 which is positioned at the rear end of the shelf I0 to provide a means of preventing the rear portion of the shelf I U from tilting upwardly when the drawer E is pulled out into open position which throws the weight of the drawer on the front end of the shelf IB. The imperforate top surface Il of the shelf I0 forms a cover for the drawer E so as to close the drawer when the same is in inner position. In this manner I provide a simple construction for a hydrator drawer E or compartment for storage of food in the refrigerator which serves the purpose of a. shelf for supporting articles above the drawer and also permits the shelf as well as the drawers to be removed when it is desired.

The shelf and drawer means is of a unitary character and may be made in the form illustrated in Figure 5. In this form of the shelf lil', the reinforcing wire frame I3 is omitted and by means of depressed portions 22 which are adapted to receive the rivets or bolts 23, the drawer supporting channels I4 are supported directly to the under surface of the shelf i0. In this construction, the hydrator drawer E lis of the same character as illustrated in the other figures of the drawings. However, the shelf i6' is illustrated with a perforated or mesh-like open portion 24 extending over the open wire or mesh basket drawer 25. Thus the shelf Id' may support a closed hydrator drawerI E as well as an open basket drawer Z5.

'With this unitary drawer hydrator compartment or open basket form of supporting drawer means having the shelf formed as a part thereof I provide a simple structure for a refrigerator which forms a neat, compact; and practical means for supporting food products within the refrigerator. The cover shelf for the drawer receptacles is locked firmly in place within the refrigerator by the means provided as set forth, or any other suitable means, and thus the whole unit of the cover, shelf and drawers is rmly fixed so that the drawers may be operated readily to open or close the same, held neatly within the refrigeration compartment of the refrlger ator, yet this unitary shelf and drawer means may be readily removed when itis desired by disengaging the front end from the lugs 20 and the hooks 2| from the inner lugs lil.

The shelf Il is adapted to be supported upon the wall lugs 20 which may be formed oi' rubber or other insulating material with the outer edge of the shelf spaced from the inner walls 28 of the refrigerator to provide an air space 21 extending at least a portion of the shelf li. The

air space 21 about the shelf I0 permits the free ported beneath said Vperforated portion of said.

shelf.

2. A unitary shelf compartment means for a refrigerator comprising a shelf having a closed cover part and a perforated portion, an imperforate drawer adapted to be closed by said imperforate part of said shelf, and a compartment drawer basket supported in a manner to be covered by said perforated portion of said shelf.

3. In a refrigerator, a shelf, a compartment enclosing said shelf, a door for said compartment extending adjacent one edge of said shelf, a drawer slidably mounted to, and depending from, said shelf, and baiile means secured to said drawer and spaced from one wall thereof, said baffle being positioned on the wall of said drawer normally adjacent said door to deflect cold air from passing through said door opening in said compartment when said door is open.

4. In a refrigerator, a compartment, a bottom therein, a shelf therein, a compartment closure wall extending from said shelf to said bottom, having an opening'therein, a drawer slidably mounted on said shelf to be drawn out through the closure wall opening, and baiile means on said drawer spaced from the wall thereof to close said opening in one extreme position.

5. In a refrigerator having a bottom, a shelf spaced from said. bottom, a drawer slidably mounted to and depending from said shelf and spaced from said bottom, a. baille plate having an aperture through which said drawer may slide secured between said shelf and said bottom, and bame means secured spaced from one wall of said drawer extending from said shelfl to a point adjacent said bottom externally thereof, including a handle means by which said drawer may be operated, said bame means overlapping the outer surface of said bame plate. y

WALTER G. SEEGER. 

